Colorectal cancer screening is increasingly well known, although it remains less well known than breast cancer screening, according to the Ministry of Health. The goal of this month of national mobilization is to make colorectal cancer screening a health habit for the population aged between 50 and 74 years.
With more than 37,000 new cases estimated in 2005, colorectal cancer remains the third cancer in terms of frequency, behind prostate and breast cancers. With more than 17,000 annual deaths, it is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer, while detected early, the survival rate is 94%.
Detected in time, this cancer is not bad
The participation rate of the first screening campaigns organized by the pilot departments since 2002 is 42%, which the Ministry of Health considers “encouraging”. This screening, which is aimed, every two years, for men and women aged 50 to 74, makes it possible to identify the disease at a very early stage in its development and to prevent cancer. As the campaign reminds us: “Detected in time this cancer is not bad”. However, many people, especially among the male population, remain reluctant to be tested.
The March campaign will have several components: a bus will travel through twenty cities selected for the low screening rate and present all aspects of screening; the television and radio campaign will be broadcast throughout the month; while deputies and senators will be made aware of these issues through a letter and an exhibition.